LOCAL PROFILE: DARCY BENNETT
I Still Call Anglesea Home By Libby Stapleton
When Darcy Bennett’s parents made the move to Anglesea 23 years ago, little did they know they were laying the foundation for Darcy’s future career as a real estate agent in town. As a four-year-old, Darcy’s parents Helen and Dale Bennett, moved from Peterborough to create a new restaurant in Anglesea called The Olive Tree Café, on the site that is now Morgans. At the time, it was student accommodation, so the Bennetts made the original transformation of it into a venue for hospitality. Like most kids in town, Darcy loved growing up in Anglesea; surfing, bike riding, playing footy and hanging out with mates. It was the good life. But he didn’t take any of it for granted and worked hard at school, becoming school captain in Grade 6 at Anglesea Primary School, then again in Year 12 as he studied for his VCE in Lorne. Breaking free from the shackles of childhood, Darcy made the move to Melbourne to start a university degree but soon discovered it wasn’t for him. However, he wasn’t ready to leave the big smoke and, for a number of years, he enjoyed working in hospitality (it was in his blood) while living in the city. Darcy’s direction began to change around the age of 21, when he landed a role with a building company called ‘Boutique Homes’, where he started to help people design and develop their dream homes. Working with them and sister company ‘Home Buyers Centre’,
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Darcy Bennett (right) with partner Sophie and their new baby son Woody.
he soon discovered a passion for the building industry, and took great delight in helping people “solve a problem”. However, Darcy still felt a strong connection to the coast, and the lifestyle it afforded. His knowledge of working with developers and in the building industry paved the way for a
new role at Hayden’s Real Estate in Torquay in 2019, where he took charge of land development projects. At the end of last year, he made his final move back ‘home’. Hayden’s had an opening in their Anglesea office, and Darcy soon found himself located directly opposite the place his parents had started. He had gone full circle.
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